I think I'm gaining some insight into our culture's desperate demand to acquire more and more stuff, which requires more and more money.Here is my mere psychological hypothesis on the situation.
I have spent the past six weeks unemployed, blessed with lots of time to sleep in, read, journal, think, cook, visit friends, travel home, take a roadtrip, spend time outside... I've had lots of time to myself. Which was what I truly needed and wanted. I've been able to work through a lot of stuff and learn lots.
And now? I'm ready for something else. I'm ready for some structure to my days (I loooove structure, apparently). I'm ready to pour my energies into something again. I'm ready to accomplish things for something else rather than my own mind. I have had too much time in my own thoughts and want to think about other things...
...because THIS is what I have found.
When it's all about you, and you're pouring all your efforts into 'developing yourself'... you don't feel outward accomplishment. And when you're not feeling outward accomplishment, you feel the void there. And you want to feel like you're gaining something.
This is a very vulnerable position to be in, because all of a sudden, there seems to be lots of things to 'gain': Cell Phone. Computer. Camera. Bumper Sticker. Canucks Flag for Car. Books. Bread. Coat.
...soon attaining and gaining merge to the same thing.
Why am I not feeling complete? Oh I need to do something with my time/I need to gain something.
Red Flag!
I don't have anything scheduled into my day. Oh I should go out. Hmm, I should have something to prove my time spent: I'll go buy some food. Or maybe a coffee.
Red Flag!
Something obviously isn't right in our hearts when we hit this point. The challenge is to find out what it is. Maybe it IS because of something legitimate, like not currently having a daily task to complete, ie. job, school, etc. But the question is, what does God want me to do in this limbo time? Definitely not look to gain/attain.
Because materialism definitely doesn't give sustainable fulfillment - only momentarily pleasure.
And gaining 'things' doesn't give us status or identity - only in worldly ways, which fade with the flowers.
No wonder our general population, who either subconsciously/consciously bored or searching for something, looking for fulfillment (even if only momentarily) and identity look to gaining materialistic items.
And people who are unable to work or study because of illness, depression, etc, are looking for their lives to count for something... fulfillment and identity are human desires... our culture points to 'stuff, stuff, stuff'... it's an easy out.
Or, perhaps, an 'easy in'.
But not sustainable.
Not permanent.
And definitely not fulfilling - it always leaves you wanting more, more, more.
Interesting:
"Most of us want more income so we can consume more. Yet as societies become richer, they do not become happier. In fact, the First World has more depression, more alcoholism and more crime than fifty years ago. This paradox is true of Britain, the United States, continental Europe and Japan."
I think I could write a paper on this. Just for fun.
"Researchers have found that low self-esteem and materialism are not just a correlation, but also a causal relationship where low self esteem increases materialism, and materialism can also create low self-esteem. The also found that as self esteem increases, materialism decreases."
Maybe another question is, "Is low self-esteem the cause for a majority of our culture's need for materialism?"
...and then "Why is low-self esteem such a problem in our culture?"
Media messages?
Cultural unrealistic expectations?
Lack of faith, truth, reason for existence?
Oh, Western Culture. Sometimes I just want to pop you like a balloon.
On that note, I am going to go make a sandwich.
